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Mixed Sleep Apnea

Frequently Asked Questions

1What is Mixed sleep apnea?

2What are the causes of Mixed Sleep Apnea?

3What is the treatment for Mixed Sleep Apnea?

Mixed sleep apnea is a combination between obstructive and central apnea. Mixed sleep apnea starts typically with central apnea episodes for about 10 seconds, followed by obstructive apnea events. A majority of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have both obstructive and central apneas.

Many people confuse the term complex sleep apnea with mixed apnea, although they are 2 different conditions. Complex apnea is a form of sleep apnea where central apnea persists or emerges while attempting to treat obstructive events with a CPAP device.

When the airway closes during a central sleep apnea episode or an obstructive episode happens during a central apnea episode, then you have mixed apnea.

Mixed apnea can appear due to breathing efforts from obstructive episodes.

After a long pause in breathing while asleep, the blood oxygen level will be low and causes Mixed Sleep apnea.

Unusual high level of carbon dioxide in the blood.

The harder the event of obstructive sleep apnea, the more likely is expected a central apnea event to appear.

Mixed sleep apnea usually starts with a central apnea episode followed by obstructive events; therefore you will need a more complex breathing machine than a simple CPAP.

The best therapy for mixed sleep apnea is VPAP (Variable positive airway pressure), which is breathing machine that uses adaptive servo-ventilation to adapt to your respiratory needs every time you want to inhale, exhale or if you stop breathing.